Disney has followed through on its promise to make The Simpsons available in its original 4:3 aspect ratio on Disney+, and here's how to watch the show in its correct aspect ratio. Disney secured the rights to host The Simpsons exclusively on its Disney+ streaming platform by acquiring 21st Century Fox, but fans were quickly disappointed when the service launched last year. The older episodes of the show – which first debuted back in 1989 – were initially broadcast in 4:3 aspect ratio but appeared on Disney's service in an updated, 16:9 HD ratio.
Disney's streaming service had already seen its share of issues at the time, from Disney+ login problems to shows being presented in the incorrect order. But in the case of The Simpsons, the aspect ratio update led to more than a fundamental change to the way the episodes were intended to be viewed. It also meant certain sight gags were cut out of the show due to the edges of the screen being cropped. Fans were quick to register their dismay, with the company issuing a statement to clarify their decision as a way to "guarantee visual quality" across The Simpsons' 30 seasons. Disney promised to make the first 19 seasons available in their original boxy format some time in 2020 – later revealing the exact date for the Disney+ Simpsons update to be May 28th.
Now, Disney has come through and delivered on its promise, providing a way for fans to watch the first 19 Simpsons seasons in the 4:3 ratio. To watch the series in its original format, viewers need to bring up the show page for The Simpsons and scroll to the 'Details' tab to the right of the 'Episodes' and 'Suggested' options. Here, there should be a toggle that reads "Remastered Aspect Ratio" – Disney's term for the 16:9 version of the show. By default the slider is set to 'on', meaning the show automatically starts playing in the stretched out "remastered" format. Simply sliding the toggle to 'off' will restore the 4:3 aspect ratio and ensure the first 19 seasons are viewable in their original format – something WarnerMedia has managed to get right from the outset with Looney Toons on its HBO Max streaming platform. Some users may have to update their version of the Disney+ app before the new feature will appear.
The fix has been a long time coming for fans of The Simpsons, who have become fond of the numerous visual jokes the show is known for. Disney's decision to change the original aspect ratio was an odd choice from the beginning, with many viewing it as disrespectful to the show's artists who put so much time into crafting the show's distinct look. The loss of certain visual gags aside, cutting out certain elements of a show as beloved as The Simpsons was always a risky move – especially considering the already-controversial Disney-Fox merger that allowed for the show to appear on Disney+ in the first place.
Hopefully, the new update will go a long way towards fixing much of the frustration Disney+ users have felt since the service launched in back in November 2019. Allowing viewers to toggle between the "remastered" aspect ratio and the original is undoubtedly a positive thing, which according to the company was a lot harder to do than users may realise. It's also a positive sign that Disney is willing to listen and adapt to user feedback, especially considering Disney+ seems to have been plagued with setbacks and problems since its launch. Now all the company has to do is find a way to overcome fan disappointment that the MCU Spiderman films won't appear on Disney+.
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